The White House said Wednesday that it expected to lay off at least 10,000 federal officials during the current budget impasse, at a time when a judge declared layoffs already in effect illegal.
“I think we’ll probably end up with more than 10,000” layoffs, powerful White House Budget Office Director Russell Vought said in an interview on the “Charlie Kirk Show” podcast. Since the murder of the conservative influencer in September, his podcast has passed into the hands of family members.
Dismissals declared illegal
More than 4,000 federal officials, working in at least seven different ministries, have already received layoff notices, according to a court document released Friday. These first “staff reductions” are just a “glimpse” of what is to come, argued Russell Vought.
However, a federal judge in California suspended these layoffs on Wednesday, declaring them illegal, according to several US media reports. According to Judge Susan Illston, cited in particular by the Wall Street Journal, everything suggests that the White House “took advantage” of the budget paralysis to “believe that anything goes and that the laws no longer apply to them.”
Since October 1 and the expiration of the US budget, Republican and Democratic representatives in Congress have been unable to agree on how to exit the “shutdown.” A Republican text that would put an end to this situation failed on Wednesday for the ninth time in the Senate.
1.4 million civil servants without pay
According to estimates by the Bipartisan Policy Center think tank, more than 700,000 federal officials have been furloughed, with pay frozen, while another 700,000 continue to work without pay until the lockdown ends.
On the other hand, the more than 1.3 million US military personnel were due to receive their salaries as planned, after Donald Trump ordered on Saturday to use certain funds in this direction. The White House confirmed on X Wednesday that the president had signed an executive order to “ensure that active-duty U.S. military personnel receive their pay on October 15.”
In addition to the impact on public officials, concerns are growing that air traffic will be affected due to increasing absenteeism among air traffic controllers and transportation security officers.
In Congress, Republicans propose expanding the current budget, with the same spending levels, while Democrats call for an expansion of subsidies for health insurance programs for low-income households.
A “cruel” decision
Due to current rules in the Senate, where Republicans have a majority, several Democratic votes are needed to pass a budget. But Donald Trump rejects any negotiation with the opposition on health matters, without first “reopening” the federal state.
To try to get more and more Democratic senators to give in, the Republican president has increased his threats, saying he wants to eliminate “Democrat-supported programs.”
The leader of the Democratic senators, Chuck Schumer, on Thursday denounced the White House’s decision to fire officials, calling it “cruel, unnecessary and deeply hurtful.”
“Let’s be very clear, no one forced the government to make these layoffs. They did it because they wanted to, period,” the New York elected official declared on the House floor.
Source: BFM TV
